Core values are a set of principles that people and organizations seek to emulate when they are living their day-to-day life. The goal is to see these values in whatever the person or organization does. When I was deciding to expand Notes by Alex from a personal blog to something larger, I thought long and hard about what I wanted the core values to be. I thought about what I valued and what was a message that needed to be spread. I landed on unity, hospitality, and love as our three core values. They were simple, easy-to-remember, and generally universal. These are values that I want to see more of in the world. I want to help people spread these in the world. One AMAZING way to show hospitality and love to others is with OPEN WHEN letters. My challenge to you is to make a set of Open When letters this month!
what is an open when letter?
An open when letter is specialized notes that you make for a loved one (partner, spouse, family member, friend, mentor, etc.). You decide on certain conditions or criteria which allows a person to open that specific letter. That letter has a one-of-a-kind note, written by you to encourage your loved one. These conditions can be positive conditions (open when you get a promotion), negative conditions (open when you feel lonely), or anything in between (open when its Wednesday). The purpose of this is to encourage, love, and uplift those whom you love.
It is a great gift for anyone. And it does not cost much. But just because it is cheap financially does not mean it is a cheap gift. You are spending a lot of time to deliver something personal and edifying to you loved one. It is worth quite a lot to the person who will receive it. This is a perfect gift for any occasion. It can be a great birthday gift for a surprise party. This would be great for someone who is going through a hard time. Maybe, your relationship or friendship is about to long distance, and you want to be able to encourage even from the distance. This could be an anniversary gift! Or perhaps, there is no reason at all other than you want to show some love. Whatever the reason, get started now!
how do I make open when letters?
You only need a few basic things. The most basic thing is that you will need paper, cards, or cardstock. You will need something to write the messages on, obviously. I do believe in handwriting these because it makes it super personal (unless you have unreadable handwriting). Then, you will also need some envelopes to put the letters in. Lastly, you will need pens and things to decorate your open when letters.
The last time that I made open when letters. It was a quick spur of the moment decision. I took about two hours to make and deliver them, but I did not really have any envelopes at the time. So what I did was that I made the printer paper that I wrote on the envelope. I folded the paper in such a way that it looked like an envelope, and when he would open one, it would unfold to be the message. Check out this video to learn how to fold paper into an envelope.
what are the rules of open when letters?
for you, the writer
- Have a variety of conditions for them to open when
- Draft out all of your letters before making the final versions
- Decide if you want to include more than just the letters
- For example, if you did a letter for open when you miss me, you could include pictures of your favorite memories together or something that would remind him/her of you.
- Don’t look up what to write in each letter. Make the letters personal! Write from your heart because you are writing these as you to your loved one. You will know the words to say!
- Enjoy the process. You are doing this to spread love to your friend/family/mentor/mentee/significant other. Knowing that should fill you with a sort of joy. It will not turn out well if you are feeling dread while working on this project.
for the recipient
- No peeking!
- Open the letters whenever they apply
- Only open up to 2 letters a week, so that they last longer
- DON’T LOSE THE LETTERS
- (If you want, you can also add a rule that he/she lets you know when he/she opens one.)
ideas for open when conditions
I figured that you needed a starting place for generating ideas for what conditions you should include. Here is your list to get you on track! Open when…
- OPEN FIRST (I think you should have one to explain what it is and the rules to the recipient)
- You feel lonely
- It’s the BEST DAY EVER
- Friday
- You need a laugh
- It finally feels like spring!
- Your faith is wavering
- You are hungry
- It’s Christmas
- You’ve lost something important
- You need to rant
- Nightmare!
- We haven’t talked in a while
- It is Thanksgiving!
- You can’t sleep
- You’re sad
- Boredom Strikes
- Today is your birthday
- Inspiration is needed!
- You are having a rough day
- You’re filled with guilt
- Exciting News!
- The feeling of nostalgia is welling up inside
- There’s finally snow outside!
- You hear “our song”
- It feels impossible to sleep
- OPEN LAST
final thoughts
Open when letters are always a good idea in my mind. They are amazing ways to show others love and hospitality (which in turn leads to greater unity). It is not only good for the recipient, but it also has value for the writer. You learn to appreciate you loved one as you recall the things that makes him/her special and special to you. Find ways to make your open when letters truly special.
- Maybe you can make one of their favorite recipes to put with the letters.
- Make this a group project for a friend who needs a little extra love. Either have different people write different topics, OR have everyone write something for each condition so that there is a little extra love spread. Your loved one’s day can be brightened when reading a bunch of letters from people who love him/her.
- Make a giant event where people pick 3 topics or so to write open when letters for. Everyone writes the letters, and then, they give personalized ones to everyone, so that everyone has a complete set.
These are just some ideas that I came up with. Put in the comments some ideas that you may have in order to level-up open when letters. Growing in unity while affirming others with hospitality and love!
Until next time,
noteworthy 